I've shared this story MANY times over the years, starting back in the "Delphi Days". I'm too lazy to locate one of the times I shared it on this forum, so I'll just type it out again!
My "re-introduction" to Wacky Packages took place in August of '73. Earlier that same year, in May, I had seen Wackys for the first time in my 6th grade homeroom. At that time, I was intrigued, but had no further interaction/exposure with them until August of that year. It was a week, or two, before the start of school. I was at my friend's house, who lived up the street from me, and he told me about a guy in a blue van that drove through the neighborhood, and sold candy out of the back of his van. He also went on to tell me that this guy sold funny stickers and cards, that came with a slab of gum, but he couldn't remember what they were called. A few hours later, a blue van slowly crept down the road, and pulled into his parent's driveway. "That's him!" he exclaimed. The old man who got out of the truck smiled at both of us, we exchanged greetings, and he proceeded to open the back doors to his van, and slide open two large wooden drawers that were stocked with every popular candy known at the time! My friend instantly spotted a purple box on the top shelf and pointed it out to me saying "That's them, those stickers I was telling you about!" He grabbed a fistful of the shiny, red packs, and I grabbed a couple, as I only had a dime on me at the time. After the guy made his sales and drove off, we hurried into my friend's house and ripped open our newly bought treasures. As soon as I saw the first sticker (Fishbone Dressing) I instantly flashed back to that morning in homeroom. "I know what these are!" I said, but I was confused... the puzzle wasn't the same one making fun of Bazooka gum, and I didn't recognize any of the spoofs. Soon after this, I saw the "2nd Series" text at the top of the checklist. One thing I knew, at that moment, I was hooked! I was raised on MAD magazine, so this was a natural "next step"! My mother didn't share my initial enthusiasm, though. When I returned home, I excitedly showed her my measly collection of 4 stickers & 2 puzzle pieces. "Where'd you get these?" she asked. "From a a guy selling candy out of the back of his van!" Needless to say, her expression was that of any parent who's child just told them they got something from a stranger driving around the neighborhood in a van! well, her terror was short-lived when I revealed who the driver of the van was. It turned out that it was a friend of ours from the church that we attended. Mr. Martin was an old man who sang in our church's choir, and had retired about 20 years prior. To make some extra money, and keep active, he had a side business as a bread & candy salesman. He was the last of a fading breed of salesman that were popular back in the 50's and 60's. He, and his wife Olive, were two of the kindest, gentlest people I had ever met. Over the next couple of years, after our first introduction, I had become a regular customer. Mr. Martin, or "The Candy Man" as we called him, had become my regular supplier of Wacky Packages. Once I landed a summer job, and could afford to buy full boxes of Wacky Packages, he would always keep a fresh, straight from the case, box of the current series aside for me. The last box that I bought from him, before he was forced to fully retire due to his wife's failing health, was the 13th series. A few weeks after buying my first two 2nd series packs, I was on the school bus, heading to my first day of 7th grade. When I got on the bus, I noticed that there was a group of my neighborhood friends tightly huddled around my friend who introduced me to the Candy Man. As I got next to his seat, I saw that he had a full, blue box of the new 3rd series that his mother bought for him the night before. This was when the fever hit, and a wave of desperation came over me as I realized that this craze could continue for a while, and I needed to get the 1st & 2nd series ASAP!